Quick Build

Put your highest score in either Strength or Dexterity, depending on whether you want focus on melee weapons or archery/finesse weapons. Your next-highest score should be Constitution, or Intelligence if you plan on adopting the Eldritch Knight archetype. Finally, choose the soldier background.

Fighting Styles

Choose one of the following options. You can't choose the same style twice, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery: You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls you make with ranged weapons

Defender: When wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling: When wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a weapon held in two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if it a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit

Mariner: As long as you not wearing heavy armor or wearing a shield, you have a swimming speed and a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you,you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.

Two Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second Attack.

You have a limited well of stamina you can draw upon to protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your fighter level. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

At 2nd level, you can push yourself beyond the normal limits for a moment. On your turn, you can take an additional action in addition to the normal one allotted to you. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

At 17th level, you can use this feature twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.

Martial Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate in your combat styles and techniques. Choose one of the below archetypes. This choice grants you features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.

Ability Score Improvement

At 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or increase two ability scores by 1 each. As usual, you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this ability.

Alternatively, you can choose to gain a single feat of your choice. You may choose from this list, and potentially more depending on the individual campaign; ask the DM for more details.

Extra Attack

At 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn. At 11th level, you can instead take three attacks, and at 20th level you may take 4 attacks.

Indomitable

At 9th level, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and cannot use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

You can use this feature twice between long rests at 13th level, and three times at 17th level.